Boot ob casmg fob leaf-springs



0. ANDERSON. 800T 0R on'smc FOR LEAF SPRINGS.

A'Pmcnwu mm "R121. I9l6.

1,195,895 Patented Aug. 1916.,

15-6 0e7zZ 07- OSCAR F. ANDERSON, 0F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOT on. CASING FOR LEAF-SPRINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Application filed April 21, 1916. Serial No. 92,755.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it" known that I, OSCAR F. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Boots orCasings for Leaf-Springs, of which'the followlubricant is difiicult andrequires much time.

For this reason it has been proposed to provide boots or casings made ofthin flexlble sheet material, such as leather or canvas,-to

inclose the springs and to contain a lubrieating substance-such asgrease or oil. The operation of attaching such boots or casings as havebeen used hitherto would be com paratively diflicult because of theinaccessr: bility of the springs, especially the rear springs of apassenger vehicle, because suclr springs are almost wholly concealed bythe fenders and other elements of the vehicle's.

. A device for the purpose stated must be ancreep toward the smallercnd;- Various devices have been proposed for anchoring the ends of suchcasings, but such means have involved considerable difficulty in orderto attach them, the ,diliiculty in some cases requiring detaching theU-'bolts or other spring-anchoring means, and in other cases requiringlacing or otherwise connecting the adjacent ends of two casings one toanother.

My present invention provides improved means for anchoring the largerend of a boot or casing, in consequence of which the latter will besecurely held in'the desired position, and whereby the operation ofattaching it may be more quickly and more easily elfected than has beenpossible with devices as hitherto constructed. The middle portion ofajsemi-elliptic leaf spring, and the larger end of a quarter-ellipticleaf spring, are anchored to a bolster or to the vehicle body, as thecase may be, usually by U-bolts. In order to facilitate the attaching of.my improved dew-ice, I have Provided the boot or casing with a metalclip having one or more clencher portions arranged to slip over and.

coact with one of such Ubolts, and the operation of anchoring such clipin clenched relation to such U-bolt does not require detaching theU-bolt or loosening the nuts by which it is secured to its bolster or tothe vehicle body.

My improved clip is capable of being ap-' plied to an underslung springand, to a spring that rests upon a bolster, and is capable of beingapplied to the upper sectipn of an elliptic or three-quarter ellipticspring. Of the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 represents a sideelevation of a lower quarter-section of a laminated leaf spring mountved upon a bolster, and includes dotted lines representing the outline ofa boot or easing provided with an anchoring clip embod ;'ng the presentinvention and occupying coo p erative relation to one of the U-bolts bywhich the spring is anchored to the bolster. Fig. 1 representsa sideelevation of one end portion of such boot or casingprovtded'with theanchoring clip, and arranged, in its relation to Fig. 1, to indicatehow, by placing it above the spring, it can be applied by downwardvertical movement. Fig. 2 represents a bottom plan view including thespring bolster shown in Fig. 1, and a portion of the boot or casingapplied to and 'inclosing the spring. Fig. 3 represents a sectionthrough the structure intersected by line 33 of Fig. 1, including aportion of the boot or casing and its anchoring clip. Fig.4 represents asection through the structure intersected" casing and its anchoringclip. Fig. 5 represents a bottom plan view of a 'inetallie con-- ncctinglink by which the anchoring clip is locked in operative position. Fig.fi represeats a perspective view of the anchoring clip detached from allother elements. Fig. 7 represents a perspective View of ananehoring clipembodying the invention in another form.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever theyoccur.

A quarter section of a laminated leaf spring is indicated at 10, and itis shown mounted upon a bolster 11 formed upon an axle- 12, such as afront axle. The spring is anchored to the bolster by two U-bolts 13, 13,the shank portions 14 of which lie against opposite sides of the springand extend tially tubular body member lticonnmul of flexible sheetmaterlal, such as leather or It is preferably shaped to conform ln-oughthe bolster. These shankp'ortions i are provided with screw-threads andare drawn down bynuts 15 to clamp the spring. This form of spring andanchoring means 13 typical. of the structures now in general use.

lhe boot or casing comprises a substancanrf-is. to the curvature andta'per of the springsection to which it is to be applied, although itwould preferably. be enough larger than detaching it. The open side ispreferably The portions 22;, 32', and i l are provided with toughmaterial and shaped to conform to.

arranged under the spring, and its two marginal portions may beconnected 'one with the other by any suitable means I have shown alacing cord 18 for this purpose, the two margipal portions of the casingbeing paovided with eyelets 19 through which the cord 18 may be'laeed.One marginal por-. tion of the casing is provided with a flap 2O SUP.Fig. 4) arranged to lie across the lacing and cover the gap between themarginal portions sufficiently to exclude dirt and to prevent the escapeof grease.

The end portion of the casihg, that is to im-lose the larger portionofthe sprin 10,

is provided with an anchoring clip whic in the form shown by'Figs. 1 t0,6, has two clencher portions 21, 21 arranged in opposite relation toeach other. In the form shown by Fig. 7 the anchoring clip has but oneelencher'portion, that indicated at 22. In either case the clip may bemadeofa single piece. of fiat sheet metal. The two .forms shmvn-arealikein all respects, excepting that the first form'has two elencher portionsadjoining the llat side portions 23, 23; while the form shown by Fig. 7has one clencher portion adjoining the transverse flat portion L4. inend elevation the clip issubstantiallyU-shapwl, audits extremities arebent away from each other to provide cars 25, 25.

holes 26 for the reception of fasteners such as rivets 27, such.l'astcuers being used to semre the clipto the tubular body member 10.A. stay 28 consisting of a strip of relatively the anchoring clip, isprovided to reinforce the. conrm'ztion between the clip and the tubularbody member 10, said'stay being arranged to take the rivets 27 andserving conla, provided the riveteare set -.'1 tightly enough to cause aclamping action.

A'ssuming that it is desired to apply the I link, thus prev 'parts oneaga Any suitable means may be provided for -1, but before applying ititwould be desirable to wipe all the-dirt'from the spring and spread aquantity of grease or other lubricant upon the top surface. of the upperlamina of thespring. As the boot or casing is placed upon the sprintheeleneher portions 21 (referring to the orm shown by Figs. 1 to-ti)would moveinto clenched-relation with the shankporti ons 14 of. theU-bolt and would slide along saiid' shank portions. Thelacing cord 18would then be threaded through the eyelets 19' and drawn therethrough todraw the marginal portions of the member 10 into substantiallycontiguous relation, as shown by Figs. 2 and 4.

The connecting link29 shown separatelyby Fig, 5 is provided-'totie theextremities of the anchoring clip to eachother and to pre} vent the clipfrom being accidentally de tached.- This connecting link may be made ofa piece of sheet metal. It is provided with slots 30, 250 arranged toregister with holes 31, 31 formed inthe. ears 25,-25 of the anchoringclip. Screw -bolts 32 are. ar

ranged in the holes 3L respectively, and each is provided with a nut 33amlwith -w'a shers 34, 3-54. "lheslots 30 in the connecting link permitattach ng and detaching the'la'tter.

avitbout removing the" bolts 32 from the-ears 25, and Ill orderto'attach the link it' is sufficicnt to uu-relynnswrew the nuts 2. shortdistance. The ofl'setformati'on of the; link 29, whereby theintermediate portion is on set from alincment-with th'e end portions, isintended to provule clearance for the extremity of the bolster 11, asindicated in When the link 12 9 applied as shown, it extends under-thespring am'l'so- Fig. .2.

prevents the clip from sliding upwardly on the shank 'of'the U-bolt."lhe lowerside of the casing member lllLincluding the lacing .cord 18,lies between the link 25) and the under surface ol the spring, andconrequently serves to take up whatever space there may be betweenthebottom of the spring and the ting rattling of the metal nether. i

10, and l. have not attemptedto show any rneansfor this purpose,excepting a conven tiohal rc 'iresentation in Fig. 1 of-a strap 35 thatmay be. fastened to the casing member lQby stitches or otherwise andmaybe pro uuntly with the clip to clamp the member iiided with a buckle inany form desired,-as at36. When the strap is drawn tightly around thespring and securely fastened, it )Nlll not creep toward the larger endofthe S cases e. ran mw ,sprin spring, because such creeping would beprevented byI-the tapering formation of the Re erring to igs. and (S theside portions' 23', 23' of'the anchoring'cli are C8.

. able of bein p g f m eac otherif such bending is f permit at tachijnemeans that will {11 t permit the clip to be slipped on ashereinb'eforeeicplained. Some springs, in some cases under-slung srings, are notanchored by U-bolts such as have be necessary to shown anddescribed, butare anchored by some equivalent means differs "form butnot in substance. Two'separate and a transverse plate are any: place ofthe more common 1 struct the passage of the sir-none Lions 21 in themanner hereinbeinroexplained. For this reason it might be'ne'ce'ssar tobend the portions 23 nwayfron; each c t er a distance of fromthree-quarters, an inch to an inch at the free ends of such portions,

and to slip the clip npnn the spring", at one 1 side of the anchoringbcits, and thli' to move upon thennmber' and arrangement of. thec theclip toward the anchoring bolts inedirection at right angles to theexcept said bolts. "Such nioven cnt fionld .earry the clencher p rno-us.21. 2 were an t ta idthq l pjteald th n e brou to clenched relationwith 1 ch bolts by bending the portions 23; 23toward each Other.- Theortion's 23, Zfijiould thereafter be se- (yin-operative 'pbsi tio n theconnect-' ing linkj29. 1

cure

l I .plfgiier theform ofolip shown ,"the" int n-is not, dependent Althouen ch er portionsshown by this figure. An

and ha. ng one clencher'portion. ad-

'joiningthe transverse portion 24, could be other form and would anchorthe. boot .or casing 'to-the U- r applied as readil as bolt or othermeans rovided for anchoring Y provided the'slde portionisigli were ofsustantially the s'amefgdepthgas the contiguous to the spring to thevehicle; F heclcncher portion 22 would not, of cjoursa'coact with the fshank portions l t i lt of the U-b0lt,but would coast with thetransverseportion that connects such sh'anlc or'tions; but it would neverthelessalfo djt e anchoragfip,

portion of the spring.""HfWever; asthere is considerable'dffereuceiiflsprings in this shown by Fig. 6.

' spring anchoring spring-anchoring terial, and'arelativelystifl"anchoring'cli arranged atfland fastenedto one end ofsairelation to each other in position to cle two port ons of thespring-anchoring'mea 'at opposlte sides of the spring embrace threesides. of Such Sprig! .neafi-t anchoring-means of thelatter a 1% 'meansat opposite sides of the'spring.

described. 1

I 2. A boot or casing for a laminatedleaf} 17.0

.-spring, comprising a; substantially tubular.

body member composed of flexiblesheet' body member; said clip having twocooper tive .clencher port ons arranged in 'oppo'si asdes'cribed. 1 8 3.A clip for anchoring a bent or casing; upon a laminated leaf-sprin ,Iconrising it": substantially U-shaped frnem i r 'a a'pted to a -a. clencherportion arranged to' embrace}; p9 tic-n of such anchoring incense :j

4. clip for"anch"fring 'a}boot reasing, I

"upon a laminated leafsprin born rising a:' substantially U-shapedinmdier n embrace three sides o'fsuchspringfnear the anchoring meansofflthe latter, the two branches of said vclip having clenclier port onsarranged to embrace such anchoring 5. 'A dev ce for-anchoring a bootorflcasing "upon a laminated leafspring,=' coin rising a substantiallyU-shaped member aapted 'embraceth'ree sides of such spring near theanchoring meansgof the latter and cor' ne'cting means adaptedto b'eattached to the;

lend'portions of saidclip to tie said end p o'rf tions to each othefiflsaid "Clip" having a; clencher portion arranged to-ernbr'acea P9?" I tlonof such anchoring means, andsaid contub necting means being adapted to;keep said clip in clenching position relatively to such anchorin -m eans.-

ln testimon'y wh reof I have ailixed my f signature. v

OSCAR F. ANDERSON g

